As a national institution with global outreach, the Museum is ensuring that Oman’s cultural heritage is recognised and appreciated not only within the Sultanate, but also internationally. Through an interchange of knowledge and skills on issues of cultural heritage, it is helping to build a national and international network based on unity and mutual support. Further, it is providing opportunities for cultural expression, innovation and the transfer of traditional skills and knowledge from one generation to the next.

The Museum is located in a purpose-designed building in the heart of Muscat. Looking very much like a palace in its own right, the building is in keeping with the overall feel of the district, with the Museum facing the Qasr al-Alam Palace at the opposite end of Muscat’s ceremonial boulevard. The total area of the building is 13,700 sq m, including 4,000 square metres for 14 permanent galleries, each covering a different aspect of Oman’s cultural heritage. A further 400sq m are allocated for temporary exhibitions.

The Museum houses more than 7,000 objects and offers 33 digital immersive experiences, state-of-the-art conservation facilities, a UHD cinema, and discovery areas for children. It features an integrated infrastructure for special needs and is the first museum in the Middle East to adopt Arabic Braille script for the visually impaired. It also houses the region’s first open-plan museum storage concept, where visitors can learn about the various processes that artefacts go through before they are put on display.

The Museum was established by Royal Decree 62/2013, issued on 16 Muharram 1435 AH (corresponding to 20 November 2013 CE), as a legal entity with financial and administrative independence and the capacity to own, manage and dispose of tangible and intangible assets of Oman`s cultural heritage.